Wideband Dual-Polarized and Dual-Monopulse Compact Array for SAR System Integration Applications

Abstract

A wideband dual-polarized and dual-monopulse array with highly self-compact configuration is proposed for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) applications. To investigate the monopulse performances, a monopulse comparator network integrated with a 16 $\times$ 32 antenna array is designed to form a complete monopulse array. In order to realize the complicated monopulse array and avoid the disadvantages from conventional machining methods in manufacturing waveguide structures, a 3-D metal-direct-printing technique is adopted in this work to obtain better mechanical and electrical performances. Experimental results show that the monopulse array can operate in a wide bandwidth of 12.5% in the Ku-band. Port isolation and polarization isolation better than 30 and 45 dB are achieved, respectively. Furthermore, satisfactory monopulse performances in sum- and difference-patterns are also obtained in the wideband. In particular, a high efficiency of 95% is achieved at the center frequency of the sum-patterns, validating the design feasibility and merit of the 3-D printing technique in SAR applications.